Bin feed mechanism



Och 1945- F. G. JULYAN BIN FEED MECHANISM Filed Feb. 15, 1944 uvl/Ezvrokg 19%! [II lit/gall Patented Oct. 23, 1945 2,387,399 BIN FEED MECHANISM Fred G. Julyan, Euclid, Ohio, assignor to Pocahontas Fuel Company Incorporated, New I York, N. Y., a corporation of Virginia Application February 15, 1944, Serial No. 522,492

6 Claims.

This invention relates to the supply of coal or the like from a pile or bin and particularly to a system for the withdrawal of the coal by a rotary outrigger arm carrying flights or vanes for move 'ingthecoal inward toward a central collector as cin Schweickart and Julyan Patent No. 2,233,085

of February 25, 1941, for Conveying apparatus.- @The object of the invention is to provide a control for the accumulation and movement of the material at thecollector toregulate and stabilize theieed. i

In the accompanying drawing illustrating the collector mechanism in vertical sectional view, coal or the like, andparticularly small sized coal such as pea or slack, is supplied to the feed screw 5 and fed out by it through the tube 6, the end i of which is gripped by set screw 1 in holder 8 at the outer end of bracket arm 9, the hub in of which forms part Of the housing designated generally as, I l and having the upper housing I2 rigidly fastened to the lower portion at the flanged union as shown.

A vertical rotary tube I5 is journ'aled in the housing section l2 and carries the blade or paddle l6 fixed to'the tube by hub ll upon which rests the upper, housing rotatable on tube [5 and carrying the outrigger arm 2| with its screw collector 22. Feed screw 5 is driven from the right and through gears 23in housing I I and gears 24 in housing 20 rotates the outrigger arm 2| around a horizontal axis and also tends to turn the entire housing 20 and arm 2| around a vertical axis as described in said Patent No. 2,233,085, the entire mechanism being intended to be submerged in the coal in a. bin or the like. The number of spaced blades or flights 26 forming the screw conveyor of the outrigger arm engage the coal and feed it inward to within reach of the inner end of the screw conveyor 5 which then reverses the feed and carries the coal out into the feed tube 6.

To regulate the supply of coal to the feed worm 5 a well or barrier 30 is provided preferably of generally cylindrical form coaxial with the center of rotation and having the bottom plate 3| and the upper rim or shelf 32 around the top of the well and at a. level just under the outrigger arm 2|. This well structure confines the feed of materlal to the opening within the shelf 32, the guard 33 extending in arched form over the screw 5 to protect the screw from inflow from outside of the well.

Above the well 30 the hood or hat 35 is provided mounted on central shaft 36 in tube l5 and having the steel band 31 around its outer edge. The lower edge 38 of this steel band is preferably of larger diameter than the well 30 and overhangs as shown to leave an annular space S within which the outrigger arm 2| moves and rotates to feed in the coal. The dimension of this annular space S is critical in that it deter- 5 mines the rate of feedto the collector and therefore to thefeed screw 5. For a well diameter of about fifteen inches the space S at l.75",vertical opening gave a feed rate of about eight pounds per hour and at 3.0" vertical opening the 10 rate was substantially doubled.

To vary thespace S the shaft 36 carrying the hood 35 may be extended down through the easing 10 and adjustably supported, for instance on a cap piece 31 of a nut member 38 slidingly fitted 1 on the square stud 39 fixed in position in base 40 resting on the bin floor 4| and rotatably supporting the worm wheel 42 in the hub 43 of which the member 38. is threaded. A sealing and supporting ring 45 intervenes between the housing 20 II and the bottom plate 3| of the well, which plate rests in turn on beams 46 on the bin floor 4|. A worm 41 meshing with the teeth of worm wheel 42 has its shaft 48 supported in bracket 49 of base 40 and this shaft 48 may be extended in 25 any desired manner fOr operation outside of the bin, as for instance by flexible coupling means.

Preferably such outside operating means will be calibrated with the rates of feed corresponding to the adjusted position of the hood 35. The adjustment mechanism described is merely typical and any desired system may be used, such for instance as a cable, cam wedge or rack.

The parts of the well and hood are inexpensively and durably constructed of Welded parts and in combination with the feed screws and the stirring paddle provide a reliable source of supply for the coal feed which may be set at any desired rate of ieedwithin its range and will maintain said rate irrespective of the amount of coal in the bin. The system is proof against avalanchin of the coal into the pick up worm 5 and the rate of supply to the worm may be adjusted to different heating systems or to cor- 45 respond to varying demands of a given heating system or to seasonal changes.

When first installed the well is filled to the level of the blade l6 and in operation the coal feeds into the well in metered amount through the space S, the supply being maintained by the outrigger screw 22. This screw and the feed screw 5 are of sufficient capacity at a given speed to furnish the maximum desired amount of material at full opening of the space S.. Restriction of this space reduces the flow of material rotatable around a horizontal axis to draw marterial in toward said vertical aXis, a well at the inner end of said feed screw extending up into proximity to said feed screw and. having abot tom forming a storage space; screw means submerged in' the material in said storagespace and adapted to withdraw material at a, predetermined maximum rate from said storage space; and

means above the outrigger feed screw for lim iting the rate of feed of material into said well comprisingia member cooperating with the edge orsaiuwell toform arestricted openihg into-said storage space and-limitthe'rate of supply of material tosaidwell to less than the said maximum rate "of withdrawal'sothat'the rate'o'f feed of material bysaid mechanism as a whole isdetrin'ihed by said member above said outrigger feed screw limiting the ratepf feed or material into said well; v

'25 Bin feed mechanism asset forth in claim 1 in which the relative positioning of the edge of the-Well and the cooperating" m'eri-iberis adjustable to control" the rate of feed of material into said well.

well are adapted to be positioned close to the shaft of said outrigger feed screw to form a correspondingly restricted opening between them.

6;. Bin. feed mechanism comprising a lower feedscrew, an upper outrigger feed screw swinging around a vertical axis and rotatable around a horizontal axis to draw material in toward the inner-end of said lower feed screw, a Well around said vertical axis and below said outrigger screw and containing said inner end of said lower feed screw, and a hood above saidoutI igger' feed' 'sGr to leave an annular space for the inainly zontal feed of material by said outrigger screw into said well while intervening against vertical ovement of material into. said Well, saidhood having a shaft movable to iiifierent verti'calpositions and withsupporting meansvariable a't-a distance from the. shaft to-adjust the shaft vertically and correspondingly vary the annuia-r space between the well andthe hood;

FRED'G. JULY-AN; 

